Being a mom and running your own business is like juggling grease-covered kittens. Its easy to feel like we are running out of energy in contrast to our colleagues with fewer parental responsibilities. They seem to grow their businesses and keep up with online marketing trends without a problem. Can we compete with that? 

Whether you have a brick and mortar location, an online store, a direct sales business, or aspire to be self-employed someday, this post is for you. Here are some easy tips and the latest information to make a huge impact on your business growth in 2019.

Social Media: Post, Tag, Connect!

Now more than ever, social media is a simple way to grow a business without a lot of time, which us moms can appreciate.

Take good pictures of what you do and of your life, and share those on a regular basis.

Download apps like UNUM or Planoly to help organize your social posts, and stay ahead at least a week.

Be sure to maximize your exposure by using branded links and tagging anything relevant to your post. Not only is it a great way to connect to your avatar and share what you do, it also seems your social media accounts are indirectly related to your search engine optimization (SEO). Correlations have been found between human interactions (likes, dislikes, shares, votes, pins, and views) and Google rankings. Research ways your social media is hurting your SEO and what to do about it.

Also, get involved in the social media community by commenting on posts and offering insight in your specific skills. Connecting in your online community helps gain exposure to what you do and causes your business to be noticed. This is something that is easy to do while you’re drinking your coffee in the morning, or waiting for your children after school.

Check Google Trends

When running a business as well as being a mom, we need all the shortcuts. Checking Google Trends is the fastest way to find out information for your social media activity, blog, or gain more insight on product/service development. It is helpful to discover how people are searching for products through popular keyword phrases. You can also find long term trends to see how online use and interest is changing, and even watch keyword searches by region. 

It seems overwhelming at first but it really is quick and easy. Trust me, this will become your secret weapon for improving how your product or service can be promoted online.

Gather Your Email List. Yesterday.

If you are not already collecting email addresses, find a way to get them. It might not seem like a big deal right now, but that list is the future of your business. You can easily set up a system of gathering email addresses that does not need your constant attention. 

The people you collect emails from are most likely your clients, or people that are interested in what you are doing. They probably follow you on your blog or socials. They might also know that you have 3 kids and a golden doodle, last year you went to Disney, and they somehow know you’re obsessed with Dr. Pepper. They are the best people to be connecting with for your business.

They are going to follow you for a long time and support you. So, keep those lists growing, and research how to use your email list for maximum impact.

Life Coach or Mastermind? What’s the diff?

There is so much talk about coaches and masterminds; what’s the deal and whats the difference? 

A mastermind is a group of 3 or more people who come together as a community to solve everyone’s business-related “road bumps” and create accountability. These can be specialized to industry, mindset, or even location. There are several masterminds including Chris Harder’s For The Love of Money or Cayla Craft’s Mommy Millionaire. There is also a mastermind in Wichita called Vistage that, from what I understand, is fairly elite. You can always do a quick search on how to start your own mastermind with you and two girlfriends.

A coach is about strategy, direction, and connections, with extremely personalized yet professional attention. Coaches are also specialized but usually fall under business (strategy, numbers, goals) or life (finding purpose, social situations, life organization). Obviously the most well recognized coach is Tony Robbins. There are several coaches under the Tony Robbins brand. You can also find coaches online with a quick search of “motivation videos” on YouTube and most of the speakers in those videos have coaching programs. There are even several great local coaches in our own community.

If you are looking for accountability to grow your business fast without a lot of time away from the family, either one of these is a really good way.

Don’t Be Afraid To Be Yourself

We could really learn from our children in regards to this topic. When they were learning to walk, they didn’t apologize for falling over a million times. They don’t hesitate to say exactly how they feel. When do we lose that? Whenever it was, its time to find it again.

Learn to get on a live video or social media story without makeup, stay true to yourself, and let your inner passion show with vulnerability so your audience can truly relate. You can make a bigger impact in a shorter amount of time by just being genuine. 

You don’t have the energy to worry about what someone is going to think about your work, your products, or you. 

It is 2019, and time we embrace even more of who we are and what we can offer the world. When both of those become totally clear, our businesses will grow exponentially.